Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is expected to visit Manipur on July 8, according to party sources, ANI reported. During his visit, Rahul Gandhi plans to visit relief camps and meet with leaders of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee.
The Opposition has been criticizing the central government for its handling of the ethnic violence in Manipur, which began on May 3 last year. Manipur has been experiencing ethnic strife since May 2023. The violence erupted following clashes during a rally organized by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha, reaffirming the central government’s efforts to normalize the situation in Manipur.
PM Modi said, “The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people have been arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur”.
He mentioned that the central and state governments are working with all stakeholders to restore peace. Schools, colleges, offices, and other institutions are now open in the state.
Earlier in June, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a comprehensive review of the security situation in Manipur during a high-level meeting in the national capital. He directed that no further incidents of violence should occur in the northeastern state. In the one-hour meeting at his North Block office, the Home Minister emphasized the strategic deployment of central forces to restore peace and tranquility in Manipur.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party won both seats in the violence-hit state. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam and Alfred K Arthur of Congress took oath as MPs in the recently concluded Parliament session.